How to Dress Well on a Budget

If you’ve ever spent a short amount of time on Instagram, or dare I say, get sucked down the Pinterest rabbit hole, I am 100% sure you have come across a fashion blogger or even just a person with really good style. Most people I know think, I would never spend that amount of money on that bag, or those shoes. Which leave them asking the question…

“How can I dress well, without spending a lot of money?”

I have an answer for you, but first let me say those ladies you see on Instagram or Pinterest do in fact dress really well, but I want to ensure you there is a difference between dressing well and have really good style. Here are my tips to dressing well.

  1. Build up your basics if you have a crisp white tee shirt (Target has great ones) and a pair of great fitting jeans (American Eagle has affordable jeans that fit great), that is a great base to a really amazing outfit. The same thing happens if you have that perfect little black dress we all need in our closet (hello Old Navy or H&M), you will be all set for your fancy events as well.
  2. Add accessories now that you have your base outfit, it is time to accessorize. Let’s talk about the white tee shirt. If you put on a scarf or statement jewelry, you have a well put together look! I like to add a jacket because I am always cold, but it also completes your look. You can find fun jewelry from ANYWHERE, Target, Amazon, or even the thrift store.
  3. Focus on fit No. Matter. What. Your clothes have to fit well. There is no way of getting around it. You can have the most expensive pair of jeans but if they don’t fit well, why pay that much for jeans you don’t want to live in? They will be uncomfortable and will make your legs look horrible if the fit is off.
  4. Avoid trends. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trend, but if you are working on having a great wardrobe add the trends after you have everything you need. Trendy accessories, bags, or shoes will help bring out your personality in your wardrobe. I just have an issue if a person buys a pair of wide-leg fuschia crop pants but you don’t own a pair of dark wash denim jeans or even a pair of black pants. So…. you plan on wearing your fuschia crop pants every day? That’s not going to work in a great wardrobe. So lets hold on the trendy items until we are ready.

I hope these tips help you at least get started in what you need to have a well put together wardrobe. Send me a message if you have any questions or if you need more help creating a wardrobe.

Shop the Look:

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My Favorite Print

Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3098Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3034Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3043Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3076Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3049Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3051Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3094Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3066Leopard Dress with Denim Shirt-3067

Hello There! You all know my love for leopard. I think I shared this dress on the blog last year and was excited to style it again this year transiting into the fall. I found this dress at Old Navy, I ordered this dress in a tall from online. If you ever come across a dress that may be too short, see if it comes in a tall to give you a little more length.

The dress its self is is very form fitting, I like to tie a shirt around my waist to define my waits and it is a stylish way to make the look not seem so dressy. Which is great because I chose to wear sneakers with the dress.

The sneakers I’ve talked about before (I have them in grey too). Every year I buy a new pair from Target. They hold up well, look great with dresses, and most importantly they are affordable.

Dress: Old Navy similar here ~ Shirt: Old Navy ~ Shoes: Target

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How to Style Basics

Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2443Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2324Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2456Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2338Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2450Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2363Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2415Olive Tee Denim Vest Black Pants-2454

One of my favorite ways to put together an outfit is to pair basics and add a fun piece to bring it all home. In the styling world, it is called the third piece, or the finishing piece. Every outfit needs something to top it off, today I’m sharing five ways add the finishing touches on an outfit.

  1. Jacket or Vest – As shown here, I am wearing a vest over a pair of skinny jeans and a plain tee shirt. I also, like to do the same look with a jacket, but in the summer jackets are of course a bit to warm.
  2. Statement Jewelry – you can wear a big bold necklace, fun earrings, or a wrist full of bracelets. Whatever you decided to make sure you just pick one statement and let that be the focus.
  3. Shoes – I love making my shoes the main even in my outfit. Honestly, the shoes make the look so why not wear a pair of fun shoes. Imagine wearing an all-black outfit and metallic shoes, I’ve been loving that look this season.
  4. Bag – bold bags are great to make an outfit look very well styled, plus if you are anything like me, you like to have a lot more accessories and more classic pieces. An outfit will always pop when you accessories are fun.
  5. Let the basics be the look- wearing a monochromatic look is a statement in itself. My favorite is wearing all black or all white. I think it is such a chic look and that says a lot.

Shirt: Banana Republic Factory similar here ~ Jeans: Old Navy ~ Vest: Target ~ Shoes: Nike similar here and here

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The White Button Down Dress

Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0738Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0668Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0693Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0743Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0670Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0692Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0680Abercrombie Button Down Dress-0700I found this dress a few weeks ago, and when I saw it I knew I would have gotten so much use out of it. Typically, I have a classic style and I know I’ve talked about my personal style on here before. It’s just so important to know what your personal style is. Finding your personal style will be the best thing for your wardrobe.

After you identify what your style is, you will be able to determine what stores suit your style best. It will help determine if certain items will go with other items in your closet. For example, I love almost everything from Free People, but it doesn’t typically fit into my style. Not to say, I may not have a few things from them, but those are the super cute wild cards.

After you determine what store will work best for your style, shopping will become a breeze. After you build your wardrobe you won’t HAVE to go shopping so often and you will be able to identify where you have gaps in your wardrobe.

Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch similar here and here ~ Belt: Thrifted similar here ~ Shoes (old) similar here and here

 

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Tan Cape & Over Planning

White Pants with Tan Cape-4018White Pants with Tan Cape-4022White Pants with Tan Cape-4037White Pants with Tan Cape-4073White Pants with Tan Cape-4125White Pants with Tan Cape-4082White Pants with Tan Cape-4143White Pants with Tan Cape-4084White Pants with Tan Cape-4092White Pants with Tan Cape-4149White Pants with Tan Cape-4103

I enjoy planning pretty much everything! I have to say that this year I failed! I planned all these ideas about what I can do for Blogmas this year and imagined how amazing it was going to be.  Lack of time kept me from sharing these ideas with you which was a disappointed for me.  As time slipped away and I was missing out.

What I found is I wasn’t planning the time it takes to execute those ideas.  I call myself a planner procrastinator. I spend so much time planning things out, but then it leaves no time to actually do what I planned. Then, I begin planning on how to catch myself up so I am not behind. I also find that if you over plan you end up confused or overwhelmed, again causing the plan to fail.

The best advice is to keep things simple. First, before I add a bunch of fun things to the mix, I have to have the basics down. If I don’t know what I am going to be posting about (or have my post ready) for the month or week, that means I don’t have time to add fluff.

Scheduling is a necessity for me. On certain days I do certain things. Having that guideline about what I need to do keeps me on track. It also means I don’t spend hours planning what I need to do before actually doing it because I know what needs to be done.

I would love to hear from you all to see if you have the same issues with planning, or should I say, over planning, as I do.

 

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Walking in White

Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4285Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4189Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4290Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4216Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4307Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4218Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4317Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4226Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4309Plaid Shirt Utility Vest and White Jeans-4321

Yesterday, I posted about an upcoming trip. Y’all, I am so stressed! I haven’t packed and my flight is Thursday. Why do I do this to myself? I always think I have so much more time than I actually do! My to-do list is getting longer and longer. I still have to make sure I have all my ducks in a row for the blog too. What in the world. Normally, I take the day off prior to a trip to make sure I have everything ready and set to go. I didn’t this time because it is so close to the holidays and I wanted to preserve my leave. Crazy.

Okay, I think that is enough venting now on to a more positive note. When do you all start decorating for Christmas? I watch a lot of youtube and everyone has already started. I am getting tempted to start decorating as well. It is so pretty and I would love start but don’t want to go all out because it is still early. Same thing with shopping for gifts? I am ready to get started and get it out of the way. I love love love wrapping presents.  

Shirt: Old Navy old similar here ~ Vest: Thrifted similar here ~ Jeans: American Eagle similar style here~ Shoes: Very old similar here

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Camouflage the Fall

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I have another look that is majority from Old Navy. Seems like I shop there a lot. It’s funny I wouldn’t consider myself to love Old Navy, but apparently I do. They have amazing deals, and cute on trend items. Plus, they have great things for winter and fall. After linking the products I found a few more shirts I plan to get. Would you like to see what I am loving? I am excited to shop and share 🙂

Shirt: Old Navy similar here ~ Jeans: American Eagle ~ Scarf: Old Navy ~ Shoes: TJ Maxx similar here

 

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It Requires a Vest

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What would fall be like without wearing a puffer vest? I had this vest for quite a few years and I can honestly say I wear it often. Vest are perfect for this time of year because when you leave your house in the morning it is chilly then as the day goes on it gets warmer (this is when you remove the vest), at the end of the day it gets chilly again. What is your staple item for the fall?

Puffer Vest: Old Navy Similar Here ~ Shirt: TJ Maxx Similar Here ~ Jeans: Gap Similar Here ~ Boots: DSW Similar Here

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